Detachable-sheet book and binder therefor.



No. 7I6,647. Patented 060. 23, 1902.

a. c. SHEPHERD.

DETAGHABLE SHEET BOOK AND BINDER THEREFOR.

(Application filed ma 1, 1901. (No Model.)

z I /3 I 3 Ira/fizz??? W 5 Wea 3 f ,9 6276m NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

GILBERT O. SHEPHERD, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

DETACHABLE-SHEET BOOK AND BINDER THEREFOR.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent N0. 716,647, dated December 23, 1902.

Application filed May 1, 1901.

To crZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GILBERT C. SHEPHERD, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of NewYork, borough of Brooklyn, county of Kings, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Detachable-Sheet Books and Binders Therefor, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has for its object to produce a binding device which may be made in the form of a book, or as a binder, and in which the leaves are detachably secured, and in the broad means for locking the hinged sections of the book or hinder together.

My invention also relates to improvements in the binding means considered with reference to the specific embodiment herein shown and in the construction of the sheets or leaves which may be employed in connection with the improved binder.

The special object of my invention is to so. utilize these improvements that they may be embodied in a book of much smaller size (in fact, of the very smallest size) than the class of books in which binding means have been usually em ployedn am ely, books of account.

Although these improvements may be advantageously employed in books of account, they may be employed for any other desired purposes. 7

My invention therefore resides in thenovel construction and combination of parts hereinafter described, and furtherpointed out in the claims. a

In the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure l is a plan view of a book opened out and constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a portion of the rear end of the book closed, the front part being partly broken away to save room in illustration. Fig. 3.i s a side elevation of the rear endof the bent portion of the book, enlarged and partly in section, on the line y 9, Fig. 5. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal and vertical sectional elevation, enlarged, of a portion of the rear of the book, the parts being perpendicularly disposed, as they would be by closing the book, as illustrated in Fig. 1 and looking at the end, the section being taken on the line a a, Fig. 5; and Fig. 5 is a Serial No. 8,246. (No model.)

like transverse sectional view of the same parts shown in Fig. 4, taken substantially on the line 4).: m, Fig. 3, and looking in the direciion of the arrows.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. I

In devices of this kind, be they either in the shape of complete books or mere binding devices, it has been customary to provide two sections variously constructed and hinged together and a locking device therefor, the lock being carried either one part upon one of the hinged sections and another part on another of the hinged sections, or one in which the look was carried by thehinging devices and adapted to be fixed to ,one side and detachably secured to the other side, or one wherein the hinging or locking device is embodied in one and the same element--that is, the hinge is the locking device and the locking device is the hinge, such element being capable of 'such alternate employment.

My present invention contemplates improvements for the purposes hereinafter recited and along the lines recited. Abook or binding device constructed in accordance with my invention has a back portion to which the covers of the book may be secured or formed part and inade in two halves hinged together, the halves or sections being pro vided with curved impaling tongues or fingers, and a locking device carried by either section adapted to engage the impaling tongues or fingers to lock the sections together. I believe I am the first to have devised this method of construction in its broadest aspect.

In describing thespecific embodiment of the various features of my invention as illustrated herein I wish to have it distinctly understood that I do not limit myself thereto, as it will be apparent that the same can be variously constructed without departing from the spirit of my invention, and especially is this so as to the duplication of certain of the parts andthe specific shape or construction of the book for inclosing the holding means for the sheets.

Referring now to the drawings, 1 represents the covers, formed of board 2, covered outside with leather 3, in and interiorly finished at 4 in the usual way, to which is secured the segmental strips 5 of thin and strong material, as sheet metal, thereby forming the hinged back sections, hereinafter so termed, either as part of the book-cover itself or as a device separate therefrom, the covers 1 being hinged to these back-sections through spacing the covers from the sections by the outer covering 2, of leather or the like, as at 6, the curved back sections being likewise so covered, the inner end of the halves or sections beingcut away, as at 7, to provide access to the lock,hereinafter described. These curved strips 5,Which extend from endto end of the book, are each provided with tongues 8, bent over to form tubes for the reception of the hinging-pin 9, which is a continuous rod in the present instance. In this way the back-sections are hinged together, so as to allow of the cover being thrown open, as shown in Fig. 1, while the covers themselves can be vibrated, if desired, upon the hinge 6 or made stiff and rigid with the curved backsections.

The strips 5 are provided with side sections or extensions 10, which are substantially fiat and which may be integral with said strips or separately formed and secured either to the strips or adjacent to their edges in any desired manner.

At 11 are the impaling fingers or tongues, in this special instance extending at an angle from the extension 10 and transversely when closed and which preferably are made integralwith the back-sections 5 and curved on a segment of a circle the center of which is in the hinge-pin 9. As shown, these tongues or fingers are of fiat metal, and one of these fingers extends from each of the back-sections closely adjacent the other, so as to form a very broad bearing transversely.

While I prefer that the tongues or fingers be made an integral part with the back-sections, it is clear that they can be made separate therefrom and independently secured to the back-sections, and, if desired, upon the inner surface of the same or between the outer surface of the same and the exterior covering. There may be also one or more sets of these fingers. In this specific embodiment a set of two fingers is located adjacent both ends of the back-sections, as shown in Fig. 1. A further improvement in regard to the construction of these figures resides in the interlocking or dovetailing them together. The base of one finger-say 11is provided with an offset 13, and the point of the other companion finger 12 is provided with an inset 14. to receive this offset, so that both fingers intermesh or dovetail with each other, providing a stop, which allows them to be brought very close together and prevents disaline-- ment of the recess in the fingers.

As before stated, instead of forming the means for locking the sections together of a device or devices separate or distinct from the impaling tongues or fingers I form a lock for the sections by providing means which engages the fingers or tongues themselves, and by holding them together firmly lock the hinged back-sections together, and in this aspoet of my invention I claim to have been the first to have devised means for locking the sections together so constituted. It will be clearly apparent that my invention in this regard can be specifically embodied in many ways without departing from the spirit thereof. The illustrated specific embodiment thereof comprises a bar 15, pivotally secured between its ends by a pin 16, passed therethrough and secured to one (either one) of the back-sections, the forward end of the bar having a projection or nose 17 disposed at an angle thereto, the outer end of the bar being bent over upon itself at 18 to form means for easily handling it, which end extends out into the open recess 7, formed in the back of the sections, so as to allow ready access thereto. The fingers or tongues are each provided, one at its base and the other at its free end, with recesses or insets 19 20, which when the book is closed, or, in other words, when the sections are inwardly vibrated to their full limit, which may be limited either by the hinge or by the ends of the tongues or fingers comingin contact with the sections 10 or other part of the side of the binder or book or in any other desired way, these insets will be alined, as shown in Fig. 5. In this position by vibrating the outer end of the bar 15 inwardly the point or projection 17 will be caused to pass into the alined insets, as indicated in Fig. 5, thereby firmly locking the tongues or fingers together, and a reverse motion of the bar will free the point or projection from the insets and permit the back-sections to be vibrated to free the fingers, so as to allow the withdrawal or insertion of the sheets.

It is clear that a separate lock can be provided for each set of impaling fingers or tongues, one for one end and the other for the other end.

At 21 are the sheets, provided with longitudinally-disposed angular folds or depressions 22, the folds being located at the inner ends or sides 23 of the sheet and through which the impaling-apertures 24 (illustrated as slots cut therein) pass, and which are of sufficient width to permitthe tongues or fingers to pass therethrough, as I prefer, snugly, the transverse dimension of the slot being considerably Wider than the thickness of the tongues or fingers, so as to allow room for the play of the fingers therethrough without binding on or tearing the paper.

Having described my invention, I claim-'- 1. The combination in an article of the class described, of the hinged back-sections having a recess, the impaling-fingers extending from said sections adjacent to said recess and adapted to be juxtaposed, and a locking device adapted to engage and lock said fingers to- IIO IIS

gether having an end extending into said recess.

2. The combination with the hinged backsections, of the impaling-fingers having indentations formed therein, and a locking device comprising a bar secured to one of said sections adapted to engage said indentations to lock the fingers together.

3. The combinationin an article of the class described, of the backsections hinged together, the curved impaling-fingers extending from said sections, and indentations formed respectively adjacent the point of one of the fingers, and adjacent the base of another of the fingers, said indentations being adapted to be alined and a bar movably supported on one of the sections adapted to engage said indentat'ions to lock the fingers together.

4:. The combination in an article of the class described, of the hinged back-sections, and the oppositely-disposed impaling-fingers extending from the back-sections and having indentations adapted to be alined with each other, and a bar pivoted between its ends to one of the sections and having at one end a projection adapted to engage said indentations when alined.

5. The combination in an article of the class described, of the hinged sections, the impaling-fingers extending therefrom, and a locking-bar pivotally secured to one of said sections, and having means at one end for engagement with the fingers.

6. The combination with the hinged backsections, of the curved impaling-fingers, one of said fingers having an indentation adjacent its base, the other adjacent its point, and a bar pivoted between its ends to one of said sections, the other end having a projection adapted to enter said indentations when the 40 latter are alined.

'7. The combination in an article of the class described, of the hinged back-sections, the two impaling-fingers extending in opposite directions from said sections and each being 4 5 sections, and adapted to engage the indenta tion ,in the impaling-finger of the opposite section thereby locking the sections together.

9. The combination in an article of the class described, of the hinged back-sections, the

impaling-fingers extending therefrom, and a locking-bar pivotally secured to one of said sections, and having means at one end for engagement with the finger of the opposite section.

10. The combination in an article of the class described, of the hinged back-sections, the two impaling-fingers extending in opposite directions from said sections, and each having a recess and a stop separate therefrom to cause the alinement of said recesses, and

a catch to hold the fingers in a closed position. Signed at the city, county, and State of New York this 30th day of April, 1901.

GILBERT O. SHEPHERD.

Witnesses:

CHAS. G. HENSLEY, SOPHIE SnKosKv. 

